Happy New Year.... How to get Booked?

Good Morning, Afternoon and Evening. Happy New Year, I have loved my christmas & new years break, now i'm back to knuckling down.

So to start the year I think I will enlighten you all via my pals over at 5 Magazine on how to get Dj bookings, maybe I should heed there advice... lol

The Quickie Guide to Getting DJ Bookings

From CZ's perspective:

1) Have one or 2 mix CDs ready to go. TRACKED. LABELED. One track CDs with magic marker don’t cut it.

2) Have a business card always on hand. The bullshit line “I just ran out of business cards” is on par with “It’s not you it’s me.”

3) In order to get booked, you have to be SEEN. Show up at people’s events, network, socialize. If there’s a night that you would like to play at, then go out and support it. Pay the cover. Buy a drink. Say hello to the promoter (but don’t bug.)

4) Tell the promoter ONCE that you’d love to play for her/him should there ever be an availability. Approach it real laid back without any kind of imposition. Don’t make the promoter uncomfortable with your nagging. If you notice the promoter tiptoeing away from you then you’re being a pestering pablo.

5) Online threats (which we’ve gotten) about having to book you will definitely not put you on the DJ Top 100 list. It’s childish, ghetto and ultimately lazy. No one owes you a gig.

6) Have a Soundcloud page. A Podomatic page. Your own personal DJ website. A press packet. (Spell check please kindly.) The more professional you look, the more on your shit you are, the more equity you have.

7) Have mixes that show your versatility. You may have a certain style, but all of us have a little of this and a little of that in us. You could have a soulful mix, a disco mix, a jacking mix, a classics mix, an electro mashup (oh how that pains me to write that), you get the gist.

We’re fortunate that we’re at an age where anything can be disseminated to thousands and thousands of people via the internet. Get a podcast or a regular show on UStream and slut the hell out of it. Yeah everyone and their mum is doing it but you’d better get in that game because you’ll have a better chance of being noticed instead of sitting at home doing nothing.

9) Facebook and Twitter are your friends.

10) Have friends. Friends that will come and support you when you do get that gig. Because you may be the best DJ in the world but if you play and no one comes to see you, then the promoter may think twice about booking you again.

11) Be good. When you play. Duh. But also have friends. I said that already.

12) There could be a whole host of reasons why a promoter doesn’t book you. Maybe your style just doesn’t suit what they’re looking for. Maybe they have to book a whole bunch of DJs before you. Just keep it moving because you have myriads of options.

13) Patience, patience, patience! So your DJ schedule is a little dry right now, so what? Bang out those mixes, keep at the podcasts, make music, find more contacts, send out those press kits. Spread that net as wide as you can and keep at it!

What won’t get you a gig? Sitting around and complaining about all the reasons why you don’t get booked. Do away with bad skin and be ProActive.

14) Be nice. Assholes are no fun.

15) START YOUR OWN NIGHT. Seriously. So many major DJs have stressed that this is how they eventually made their name. If no one is going to book you, then book yourself! There must be thousands of bars and lounges in london…go online…look in the phonebook…start your own night.